In mine own person; holp to reap the fame,
Which he did end all his; and took some pride

To do myself this wrong: till, at the last,
I feem'd his follower, not partner; and
He wag'd me with his countenance, as if

I had been mercenary.

1. CON.

9

So he did, my lord:

The army marvell'd at it. And,
When he had carried Rome;

For no less spoil, than glory, -
AUF.

in the last,

and that we look'd

There was it;

For which my finews shall be stretch'd upon him.
At a few drops of women's rheum, which are

* Which he did end all his ;) In Johnson's edition it was, "Which he did make all his," which seems the more natural expression, though the other be intelligible. M. MASON.

End is the reading of the old copy, and was changed into make by Mr. Rowe. STEEVENS.

This is obscure.

9. He wag'd me with his countenance,] The meaning, I think, is, he prescribed to me with an air of authority, and gave me his countenance for my wages, thought me fufficiently rewarded with good looks. JONHSON.

The verb, to wage, is used in this sense in The Wife Woman of

Hogsden, by Heywood, 1638:

I receive thee gladly to my house,

"And wage thy ftay."-

Again, in Greene's Mamillia, 1593 : " -- by custom common to all that could wage her honesty with the appointed price."

To wage a task was, anciently, to undertake a task for wages.
So, in George Withers's Verses prefixed to Drayton's Polyolbion :

"Good speed befall thee who haft wag'da task,
"That better cenfures, and rewards doth afk."

Again, in Spenser's Faery Queen, B. II. c. vii:

muft wage

"Thy works for wealth, and life for gold engage."

the

Again, in Holinshed's Reign of King John, p. 168: summe of 28 thousand markes to levie and wage thirtie thoufand men." STEEVENS.

2

For which my finews shall be ftretch'd - This is the point on which I will attack him with my utmost abilities. JOHNSON.

1

1

:

As cheap as lies, he fold the blood and labour
Of our great action; Therefore shall he die,
And I'll renew me in his fall. But, hark!

[Drums and trumpets found, with great shouts of the people.

1. CON. Your native town you enter'd like a post, And had no welcomes home; but he returns, Splitting the air with noise.

2. CON. And patient fools, Whose children he hath slain, their base throats tear,

With giving him glory.

3. CON.

Therefore, at your vantage,

Ere he express himself, or move the people
With what he would say, let him feel your sword,
Which we will fecond. When he lies along,

After your way his tale pronounc'd shall bury

His reasons with his body.

AUF.

Here come the lords.

Say no more;

Enter the Lords of the city.

LORDS. You are most welcome home.
AUF.

I have not deserv'd it,

But, worthy lords, have you with heed perus'd

What I have written to you?

LORDS.

1. LORD.

We have.

And grieve to hear it.

What faults he made before the last, I think,

3 What I have written to you?] If the unneceffary words to you, are omitted (for I believe them to be an interpolation) the metre

will become fufficiently regular:

What I have written?

Might have found easy fines: but there to end,
Where he was to begin; and give away
The benefit of our levies, answering us

With our own charge; making a treaty, where
There was a yielding; This admits no excuse.
Aur. He approaches, you shall hear him.

Enter CORIOLANUS, with drums and colours; a crowd

Cor. Hail, lords! I am return'd your foldier; No more infected with my country's love, Than when I parted hence, but still subsisting Under your great command. You are to know, That profperously I have attempted, and With bloody passage, led your wars, even to The gates of Rome. Our spoils we have brought

home,

Do more than counterpoise, a full third part,

The charges of the action. We have made peace, With no less honour to the Antiates,

Than shame to the Romans: And we here deliver,

Subfcrib'd by the confuls and patricians,

Together with the feal o'the fenate, what

We have compounded on.

AUF.

1

Read it not, noble lords;

But tell the traitor, in the highest degree

He hath abus'd your powers.

3

COR. Traitor! How now?

AUF.

COR.

Ay, traitor, Marcius.

Marcius!

AUF. Ay, Marcius, Caius Marcius; Doft thou

-

think

answering us

With our own charge;] That is, rewarding us with our own

expences; making the cost of war its recompenfe. JOHNSON.

1

I'll grace thee with that robbery, thy stol'n name
Coriolanus in Corioli?-

You lords and heads of the state, perfidiously
He has betray'd your business, and given up,
For certain drops of falt, your city Rome
(I fay, your city,) to his wife and mother:
Breaking his oath and resolution, like
A twist of rotten filk; never admitting
Counsel o' the war; but at his nurse's tears
He whin'd and roar'd away your victory;
That pages blush'd at him, and men of heart
Look'd wondering each at other.

COR.

Hear'st thou, Mars?

AUF. Name not the god, thou boy of tears,-
COR.

Ha!

COR. Measureless liar, thou hast made my heart Too great for what contains it. Boy! O flave!Pardon me, lords, 'tis the first time that ever

I was forc'd to scold. Your judgements, my grave

lords,

Must give this cur the lie: and his own notion (Who wears my stripes impress'don him; that must

bear

My beating to his grave;) shall join to thrust
The lie unto him.

1. Lord. Peace, both, and hear me fpeak. Cor. Cut me to pieces, Volces; men and lads, Stain all your edges on me.-Boy! Falfe hound!

Lear:

* For certain drops of salt, For certain tears. So, in King "Why this would make a mau, a man of falt." MALONE. * Auf. No more. This should rather be given to the first lord. It was not the business of Aufidius to put a flop to the altercation.

TYRWHITT.

If you have writ your annals true, 'tis there,
That, like an eagle in a dove-cote, I.

Flutter'd your Volces in Corioli:

Alone I did it.-Boy!

AUF.

Why, noble lords.

F

Will you be put in mind of his blind fortune, Which was your shame, by this unholy braggart, 'Fore your own eyes and ears?

CON. Let him die for't. (Several fpeak at once. CIT. [Speaking promiscuously.] Tear him to pieces, do it prefently. He kill'd my fon;-my daughter;-He kill'd my coufin Marcus; -He kill'd my father.

2. LORD. Peace, ho; no outrage; -peace. The man is noble, and his fame folds in This orb o' the earth. His last offence to us

5

Shall have judicious hearing. Stand, Aufidius,

And trouble not the peace.

COR.

O, that I had him,

With fix Aufidiuses, or more, his tribe,

To use my lawful sword!
AUF.

5

Infolent villain!

CON. Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill him.

[AUFIDIUS and the Conspirators draw, and kill CORIOLANUS, who falls, and AUFIDIUS ftands on him.

his fame folds in

This orb o' the earth. ) His fame overspreads the world.

So, before:

6

JOHNSON.

"The fires i' the lowest hell fold in the people." STEEVENS. judicious hearing. Perhaps judicious, in the present instance, fignifies judicial; such a hearing as is allowed to criminals in courts of judicature. Thus imperious is used by our author for imperial. STEEVENS.